- Create accurately scaled floor plans, change colors, countertops, cabinets, flooring styles and more
- Thousands of items in the built-in library include furniture, fixtures, lighting, doors, windows, and more. Place name brand products in your design or import your own to visualize colors and textures
- Choose from over 6,000 library items and download free bonus items
- Plant Encyclopedia – get detailed information on popular plants, learn which ones are best for your climate using the Hardiness Zone Map
- Automatic Cost Estimation and Materials list help assign costs for materials, calculate quantities, and more
Product Description
Better Homes and Gardens Home Designer Suite 8.0 is powerful software for any home design project. With over 5,000 integrated tools it is perfect for home design, remodeling, interior design, landscaping, decks, cost estimation, and site planning. Design in 2D and 3D simultaneously; even do a virtual walk-through. Choose from over 6,000 library items or download free bonus items. Create base, wall, full height, curved, corner cabinets and more for your new kitche… More >>
Better Homes and Gardens Home Designer Suite 8.0
Tags: better homes and gardens, change colors, corner cabinets, cost estimation, doors windows, furniture fixtures, hardiness zone, integrated tools, name brand products, powerful software
#1 by NorCalShopper on June 24, 2010 - 7:11 pm
As a self professed architect-want-to-be I’ve found this software addicting. Our 1000 bland 60’s ranch home needs some upgrades, but where to begin, and what can we do now that could lead to bigger and better things?
Nervous about download-only software but someone who can’t stand an oversized box, extra and unecessary plastic and paper – I thought I would give this a try especially since it appears there are some ‘back-ups’ for problems through Amazon’s download center. We didn’t have to find out as the download went smoothly.
The software can be a trick to get use to but the various videos that come with the software are helpful and if you’re able to learn software easy (Office, or Office 2K to Office 2K7) it’s not too bad.
Once in a while my renderings get a little silly and can be annoying but usually making a small change or closing the file and reopening it usually corrects it. There are some settings you can’t change (cabinet molding – fixed depending on default file (or maybe I haven’t figured out the setting yet), or you have to keep changing – example – when you start a file you pick a default style (say traditional vs. urban) and that comes with a set of defaults for siding, cabinets, windows, etc – well my plan keeps reapplying siding when I make a change to the plan – and I have to apply stucco each time I make a 3D rendering. I’ve got about 3 dozen plan options – and this is a consistent annoyance.
The preview video from Cheif Architect shows many features that are not available in Home Designer Suite (customizing roof options, pony walls are two examples) but of the next level of software so be careful and review the comparison chart on their website to make sure you’re buying what you expect to receive. For our needs of visualizing a few remodeling options – I couldn’t rationalize the price $100 plus difference to the next version.
I watched the 9.0 preview when a friend asked me about the software – and it looks like some of the menu options are easier – and maybe a few new library options, but the changes do not look too drastic.
Rating: 4 / 5
#2 by Dan the Man on June 24, 2010 - 8:33 pm
I purchased this product to do a mockup of my remodel. It was very good but couldn’t do a few items:
1. Custom Shaped windows
2. Stairs with wall that are empty beneath
3. Couldn’t get the roofs to ever work right (but this is mostly because my roof is exceptionally unusual).
The 500$ one could do these things as their forum support people instructed me how to create them. However, I needed to return this in order to get that one (plus v9 came out about a month after I got this one). It did take quite some time to return the software, but it worked out in the end. Mostly this was because I purchased it from Amazon and they didn’t get a record from amazon saying that I did.
I would recommend a longer money back period as there’s quite a learning curve with this software. Using the online support was excellent, but disappointing to find out I couldn’t do what I needed to. The customer service people were all very kind and helpful, even if I did have to go back and forth several times because I purchased it from amazon.
I would recommend this to someone who has a simpler layout, e.g. no oddly shaped windows or roofs. Most houses would work fine. If you have some weird stuff, then get the better version.
Rating: 5 / 5